


Mother and Child Reunion

by JohnnyMueller



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Anxiety, Babies, Breastfeeding, Children of Characters, Comfort, Crying, F/F, Family Fluff, Friendship, Getting Back Together, Holding Hands, Hugs, Kissing, Making Up, Married Life, Post-Break Up, Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Reunions, Secret Children, Secrets, Tea, Zoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26702434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnnyMueller/pseuds/JohnnyMueller
Summary: "Tsubasa-chan, it's been a while. Do you want to meet up?"Tsubasa wasn't expecting a simple text to upend her life.
Relationships: Ayase Eli & Kira Tsubasa, Ayase Eli/Toujou Nozomi, Kira Tsubasa/Kousaka Honoka, Mentioned Rinpana - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

"Tsubasa-chan, it's been a while. Do you want to meet up?"

Tsubasa looked over the text for what felt like the thousandth time. There were a few other texts in response to that, but the initial one kept drawing her back.

She hadn’t heard from Honoka in close to five years, ever since they broke up. Their break up… it wasn’t a good one, but they seemed to end on good terms. As much as she wanted to be with Honoka, A-RISE was getting highly popular not just in Japan, but around the world. It was a tough choice, but at that moment, her career was more important than any possible relationship.

 _At least that’s what the coward in me says._ Tsubasa said and looked around the train car. With her face mask, glasses, ponytail, and drab clothing, it was hard to recognize the famous rock musician in the woman standing here. Still, it always felt like a thousand eyes were watching her at any time, something from her idol days she couldn’t get over.

The train came to her stop and she exited alongside the throng of people around her. She finally felt able to breathe once she got to street level and began walking the familiar path. Even though so much had changed in the years since she’d been here, it felt like nothing changed at all. It still had the same sensation, the positive feelings that made her stomach buzz and her mouth curl into an invisible smile.

When she reached her destination, she took in a need deep breath. The Homura sweets shop may have been small and out-of-the-way, but it was still one of her favorite places in the world, not just for what they offered, but for the memories that laid inside.

She froze. Tsubasa felt the hesitance build up in her throat and feet. _Do I deserve to be in here after I just left her like that?_ She shook her head. _She invited me, and we’re just going to chat about old times, that’s all that will happen, I’m sure._ She made a fist before entering the store, the familiar bell ringing.

“Ah, welcome. What would you like?” Yukiho was manning the front. She’d blossomed into an incredibly attractive young woman, possibly even more sensual than her sister. _If she’s still dating Ayase’s sister, she’s very lucky._

“I’d like to speak with your sister, Yukiho-san,” she said as she took off her mask.

“Oh… Tsubasa-san.” Yukiho’s voice gained a slight strain as her eyes widened. “Wow, it’s been so long I didn’t recognize you, although…” She shook her head, as if she wasn’t supposed to say something. “Onee-chan did say you’d be coming; I’ll bring her in.” Before Tsubasa could say anything back, Yukiho quickly retreated to the back of the story.

_What is going on here? Did I hurt Honoka more than I thought? Did I just get invited for a rant? No, Honoka’s not like that._

Her ruminations didn’t go on for too long as Honoka came out from the back. She hadn’t changed as much as Yukiho but there was a clear difference. Her shoulder-length hair was now tied into a small ponytail and Tsubasa was seeing the first wrinkles on her face. She had a strong mature appearance, more than Tsubasa would’ve guessed from the flighty girlfriend of the past.

Once she walked in front of the counter, Tsubasa noticed someone else was with her. A young boy, no more than 4 or 5, was by her leg. He had rusty brown hair and the same blue eyes as Honoka. _Who is this? A cousin? Did her parents have another child?_

“Tsubasa, this is Kaoru Kousaka.” Honoka got to her knees and looked at the boy, her hand in his hair. “Remember your introduction, Kaoru.”

“I-It’s nice to meet you, Miss Tsubasa.” The boy was clearly nervous as he bowed, but he was just as cute as a button, so Tsubasa didn’t notice.

“It’s very nice to meet you too, Kaoru-kun.”

Kaoru stood up and looked over at Honoka. “Is she…”

“Yes, she’s your other mommy, Kaoru.”

 _Ah, I see, Kaoru’s her son, that makes sense… wait, what._ Tsubasa’s eyes widened as she looked more closely at the boy. _His hair does look like mine and Honoka’s combined, and his face looks like mine around his age, plus with how young he is… What did I just walk into?_

“Kaoru, would you play with Auntie Yukiho while Mommy talks with Miss Tsubasa?” The boy’s frown made it clear how much he didn’t like that idea. “Don’t worry, it’ll only be for a few minutes, then I’ll play with you as long as you want.”

“OK.” _Clearly, he’s as easy to please as his mother._ Kaoru went back to his aunt, who took his hand into the back.

Honoka stood up and looked at Tsubasa. Her eyes were trying to hide something, but Tsubasa wasn’t sure what that was. “Would you mind if we talked in the kitchen?”

“N-No.” She walked back with her ex, uncertain if she was making the right move but needing to know.

Once they got into the kitchen, Honoka turned to her frantically. “I’m sorry, I-I… look, I can explain.”

“Honoka.” Tsubasa put her hand on her shoulder. As happy-go-lucky as Honoka could be, when she actually got nervous, it could be catastrophizing. “I’m not mad at you or anything like that, I just want to know what’s going on.”

“O-OK.” It wasn’t calming her much, but it seemed to be doing something.

“So… Kaoru’s my son.”

“Yes. He just turned 4 a few months ago.”

“When did you know?”

Honoka looked around the room, already knowing the answer but uncertain of how to phrase it. Finally, she took in a breath and spoke. “I-I was going to tell you, but the night I planned it… was the night you broke up with me.”

In that moment, Tsubasa Kira tried her best to keep her tears back. She was succeeding, but not for long. She could imagine it now in her mind’s eye: the joy Honoka felt about being able to start a family with the woman she loved, only to have her heart shattered when she found out that dream would not be possible.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve supported you, helped you, I would’ve been there-”

“And what about A-RISE? Didn’t they deserve your support and help? As much as I wanted to keep you with me, I knew where your heart laid.” Honoka’s smile turned wistful even as tears flowed down her face. “You had a dream to be famous around the world, to have everyone knowing your name and cheering it. You’ve done that twice, with A-RISE and by yourself; you’re incredible. Me, I… I just wanted to be a simple mother who sold sweets. I knew which dream was more important.”

Tsubasa’s heart was close to collapse. _I’m so stupid, I’m such a coward, I’m a lowlife, why didn’t I just contact her?_ She took in several calming breaths before asking, “Why now?”

Honoka looked down at the floor. “I was never intending to tell you, but… Kaoru wanted to know who his other mother was, and when he did, he wanted nothing more than to meet her. You don’t have to stay here long, you know, you can just say hi and g-”

For once, Tsubasa didn’t think before acting. She didn’t consider the ramifications of what would happen or what it would mean for her career. She acted as if she would die otherwise.

Rushing forward, she gave Honoka the firmest, most loving kiss and hug she could ever do, pressing her lover against the wall.

“You’re an idiot, Honoka,” she said, separating their lips for a moment, “but so am I.”

Honoka wasn’t expecting any of this from the way her eyes twitched or her face turned red. “Wh- Wh- What do you-”

“Within a week of breaking up with you, I regretted it. I said that I couldn’t be with you because I was too busy, but I would’ve given up everything to be with you. The truth is I was too selfish. I wanted that dream so badly that I thought you might’ve ruined it. When I realized what I gave up, I thought about going back, but… I thought to myself, ‘I’m such a bitch that I don’t deserve the love of her.’ So I stayed away, out of shame and guilt. But now,” she looked down at Honoka’s hand, which she grasped at some point, “I’ll make up everything I’ve done to you ten times over. I want to be here for you and Kaoru as much as I can. I want to be a proper wife and mother for the both of you. I… If you’re OK with it, I want to live here with you.”

“Bu- But don’t you have a lot of stuff?”

“Not really. I’m on the road so often that my apartment is pretty empty. It’d be nice to have someone laying next to me when I wake up for a change. Although I’ll probably be touring less due to my ‘familial responsibilities.’”

Honoka finally looked Tsubasa in the eyes with the kind of loving glance that made Tsubasa want to hold onto her for the rest of her life. “Are you sure?”

“I’m more sure than I’ve ever been. Plus, you always said you wanted at least three kids.” Tsubasa gave Honoka a quick peck on the neck. “We should be making up for lost time.”

Honoka’s flush deepened as she looked around. “Tsubasa…” She returned the favor by giving Tsubasa another kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” The two of them walked towards the living room, hand in hand, where Yukiho was listening to Kaoru tell some kind of story.

Without thinking again, Tsubasa rushed to her child and wrapped him up in a tight bear hug.

“A-Ah, Miss Tsubasa?”

“I’m so sorry, Kaoru…” A few stray tears came from Tsubasa’s eyes. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you, but I promise I’ll be here for you always. As soon as I can, I’m going to move in here and you’ll have both of your mommies here with you.”

“Really?” Tsubasa’s head nodding felt light as air when she saw the joy in her boy’s face. “Ma-Mama!” Kaoru started crying as well as he hid his head into Tsubasa’s chest.

“Oh, c’mon, don’t cry in front of your mama…” Tsubasa giggled to herself as she let her tears flow. Honoka came to her side as she wrapped her arms around their child.

“I’m sorry it took so long for this to happen, Tsubasa.”

“It’s fine…” Tsubasa looked down at Kaoru, the sudden shining star in her life. “I’ve been alone for so long that, right now, I feel complete.” She gave Honoka a kiss, a connection between the three of them that she’d treasure for the rest of her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Tsubasa wasn’t sure what she had been dreaming about; all she knew was that it was filled with warmth and love before something crashed onto her.

“Tsuba-mama, Tsuba-mama!” Tsubasa groaned and giggled as she woke up; even with the weight on her, she couldn’t help but enjoy this sensation.

“Jeez, Kaoru, shouldn’t you still be bed?” Tsubasa opened her eyes to look at her son’s bright ones. Now seven, he was going to be just as energetic as Honoka, although with more common sense than her (something she joked about a lot).

“I can’t be in bed when we’re going to the zoo today!” Tsubasa tried to hide it, but she shared some of his excitement as well. Even with her promise to spend more time at home, she still had to go tour every so often and she just finished a four-mouth intercontinental tour. This one wasn’t as lonely, though; being able to video chat Honoka and Kaoru every day filled the emptiness in her heart. Now, the tour was over and she could take some time off before working again.

“Alright, alright, get yourself dressed and we’ll go to the zoo.” Kaoru quickly jumped off the bed and went back to his room. Tsubasa smiled before looking over at her wife, still trying to wake up. “You still up for this? You can stay home.”

“No, no, I’ll be fine.” Honoka struggled to get up, fighting against her massive baby bump. Being six months along with twins had made her looking like she was close to giving birth and tired a lot of the time, but she still acted like the same Honoka as usual.

“I’m honestly surprised the only time you’ve collapsed in your life was at that rooftop performance.” Honoka’s face darkened for a moment before she hugged Tsubasa, squishing her body against hers.

“I know my limits now. I’ve got you and Kaoru and our girls to watch out for.” Tsubasa’s smile deepened as she rubbed her wife’s belly. Kaoru was excited to find out he’d be getting two little sisters; of course, most things excited him.

“Well, let’s get ready, we don’t want to get beaten by a 7-year-old.”

*

Kaoru’s favorite place in the zoo was the aquarium; he loved to sit down and watch all of the fish swim back and forth. Tsubasa and Honoka sat on a bench next to him; his fascination with them also meant it was easier to have a rest, especially for Honoka.

“You still good?”

“Of course, I’m fine.” Honoka had a sheen of sweet on her face and sounded a little out of breath, but was overall doing good. “You forget this isn’t my first time being pregnant.”

Tsubasa tried her best to hide the way her face dropped, but Honoka always caught those things. She placed her hand on top of Tsubasa’s and gripped it firmly.

“How is it… that I can feel all of this weight, all of this guilt, and you’re not angry or upset at all?”

“I was, and part of me still is.” Honoka’s voice was still bright but her face was neutral as she watched a sting ray pass by. “But I’m not that concerned about what’s happened. My focus is on now and what’s about to happen. Back then, I had my child to think about. Now,” Honoka turned to show Tsubasa that smile that made her fall in love all over again, “I have all four of you by my side and I know nothing will change that.”

Thinking nothing of the crowd around her, Tsubasa kissed Honoka while placing a hand on her belly. She felt her children slightly turn and shift inside their mother. _Is this what it feels like, to have a truly complete life?_ If so, she’d rather die than give it up.

“Tsuba-mama!” Kaoru pulled at her shirt. “They’re gonna feed the elephants!”

Tsubasa blushed for a moment, even though it wasn’t the first time Kaoru caught them making out, but she regained her composure to turn around and smile at her son. “Alright then, let’s go see them.”

*

“He asleep?”

Honoka craned her head around to look (it was hard to turn with her weight). “Completely.”

Tsubasa chuckled a little. “I bet you were the kind of kid who told your parents, ‘I’m not falling asleep on the trip!’ and fell asleep five minutes into it.”

“Sometimes. I was too energetic usually to fall asleep in the car.” Tsubasa looked over at her wife as she was driving. The late afternoon sun brought out the beauty in her hair, the ways her eyes shimmered and gleamed. “You know how we were talking about names last week?”

“Yeah.”

Honoka turned her head to look about Tsubasa. “I was thinking, what if I named one of them and you named the other?”

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow before nodding. It sounded like a good idea. “Do you have any in mind?”

“Sumire.”

 _That was quick._ “Like the violet?”

Honoka nodded as she rubbed her belly. “Nozomi told me that they represented honesty. I like the idea of that, of having a reminder to live the truest life that they can.”

“That does sound good.”

“What about you, Tsubasa?” Tsubasa had been thinking about this even since she found out Honoka was pregnant again, but she couldn’t decide on anything. It was such a tough choice, having to come up with a name that could determine her child’s future.

As she was about to start listing some names, she saw a pair of birds flying towards their horizon. She watched their grace as they moved their wings up and down.

“Hane.”

Honoka was silent for a moment before smiling. “It’s odd, but I like it. ‘Fly free, my child,’ that sort of thing.”

“… Yeah.” Tsubasa moved her hand over to hold Honoka’s and feel the rings on both of their fingers. Tsubasa wasn’t as certain about things even since she got together with Honoka, but she knew one thing: These were the moments that her life was made for.


	3. Chapter 3

Tsubasa approached the door as soon as it rang. She opened it to see who she was expecting, Eli and Nozomi. Nozomi was wearing a cream dress with a jacket over it, while Eli had a knee-length skirt and a button-up shirt, which slightly curved around her bump.

“I’m glad you were able to make it. I didn’t know if you would be late with how cold it is.”

“Oh, Elicchi had a little issue with it, but we were able to make it just fine.”

“Nozomi, I’m not the only I have to think about.” Still, Eli smiled and kissed her wife on the cheek before entering. “Is Kaoru here?”

“No, he’s playing with Rin and Hanayo’s boys. They’ve got a new console and are trying it out.” Tsubasa took Nozomi’s jacket, paying attention to the slight strain on Eli’s face as she looked around the Kousakas’ shop. “I can only hope that none of them do anything too foolish.”

“Knowing Rin, she’ll join in with them.” A smile was back on Eli’s face, but Tsubasa couldn’t help but worry. _Hopefully, I can get it out of her._ “Where’s Honoka?”

“She’s in the back, feeding the girls.” Tsubasa took the two of them back into the home portion of the building and into the living room. “Honoka, Eli and Nozomi are here.”

“Oh, you made it!” Honoka beamed at her friends as she held Sumire and Hane close to her chest, letting them suckle from her breasts. Even though she’d been doing this for six months (and before with Kaoru), Tsubasa has still fascinated by the image every time she saw it, the difference between the energetic idiot she knew back in the school and the calmed down maternal figure she saw before.

Eli, surprisingly, was quite flustered upon seeing her, her face turning a full red. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t get that Tsubasa meant feeding by that, we can wait until-”

“No, no, it’s fine, I don’t mind at all. At least neither of them have spit up on my breasts.” Eli’s face turned a bit pale at that comment. “Besides, you’re going to used to the sight pretty soon. You’re, what, five months along?”

“Four. And I’m actually planning to bottle feed.”

“That’s fine as well, although pumping can be a pain. I had to do it when Kaoru got older.” Honoka chuckled as her girls finished nursing. She took them off her breasts and burped them, then held them in her arms. “Would you like to hold them?”

“Oh, of course.” Nozomi walked forward and took Hane from Honoka’s arms. She cooed in Nozomi’s embrace as she gently rocked the girl back and forth. “Aw, you’re such a sweet girl. I know Mama Honoka and Mama Tsubasa will take great care of you, but if you ever need anyone to talk to, you’ve always got Auntie Nozomi and Eli.” Nozomi’s smile could cure the world of whatever affliction it had as she looked at Hane.

Tsubasa moved her gaze towards Eli, who was still standing awkwardly to the side. “Eli, do you want to hold Sumire?”

“What? Oh, sure.” Eli slowly walked to Honoka and sat down next to her. Honoka, with a knowing smile, moved Sumire to her hands, Eli making sure she supported the infant’s head.

“So cute,” Eli faintly whispered as the girl closed her eyes and started to drift to sleep. Eli moved a hand to move some hair out of Sumire’s face when she took her tiny hand and wrapped it around a finger. Eli smiled brightly and, for a moment, Tsubasa though she saw a tear in her eye. Then Eli put Sumire back in Honoka’s arms as Nozomi did the same with Hane.

“Well, I’m going to put these two down for their nap.”

“Honocchi, I was wondering if I could see your nursery. It might give me and Eli some ideas.” Nozomi looked at Tsubasa with a sly wink, which Tsubasa responded to with a slight nod.

“Of course!” Honoka and Nozomi walked out of the room, leaving their wives behind. It was silent for a minute, which wasn’t surprising; they were friends, but they weren’t that close and they were the kind of people who preferred silence when they could have it. _But I don’t think silence is the best answer now._

“Eli, I was thinking about making some tea, but I didn’t know what you and Nozomi would want? Would you like to see?”

Eli nodded. “Of course.” The two of them walked into the Kousakas’ personal kitchen, where Tsubasa went to the tea stash.

“I know there’s some Russian flavor you like, but we’re out of that. Oh, do you still like jasmine tea?”

“Ah, yes.” Tsubasa filled up a kettle and started boiling the water. She watched it, keeping her back to Eli. _Hopefully, it’s more comfortable if she doesn’t think I’m judging her._ It was silent for a few moments before Eli spoke up.

“Tsubasa, did you ever…” There was some muttering from Eli, so Tsubasa slightly turned, making it clear she was listening. “Did you ever worry when Honoka was pregnant?”

“Well, I worried four years too late for Kaoru, but I would’ve been.” Tsubasa grimaced before continuing on. “As for Sumire and Hane, well of course, especially since she was pregnant with twins; you have to deal with more issues then. But she didn’t have any problems with Kaoru and, besides a slightly elevated blood pressure, the twins’ pregnancy went perfectly fine. They’re all healthy and happy, so I don’t have any complaints.”

“Yes, but did you ever worry about not being a good parent?”

“Every parent does; it’s not something we like to talk about, but we all have it. What’s your worry?”

Eli sighed and looked down at the bump of her belly. In the next few months, it would swell bigger and become harder to ignore. Tsubasa placed her hand over Eli’s on her stomach. “It’s fine.”

Eli looked up at her with her clear blue eyes before nodding. “When I was student council president in my third year and we were at risk of shutting down, I was scared. I was scared that everything I had ever worked for was for nothing and that I’d be worthless and forgotten and a disappointment to everyone and…” Eli’s breathing sounded tight and ragged, but, with Tsubasa’s firm grasp of her hand, she got it under control. “Under all that stress, I did things I regret deeply. I hurt people by not caring about their feelings or saying they couldn’t do that when really I didn’t want it to happen. There’s still classmates of mine who won’t talk to me and I understand that. I think I’m better now, but what if something happens to me now, something that I can’t handle and I hurt my child in some way and…” The tears finally came from Eli’s eyes as she fell into Tsubasa’s arms, who wrapped her up in a tight embrace.

“Oh, Eli…” Tsubasa sighed. “You have made a few mistakes. Your first being ‘Never think you’re the person you were when you were 17.’”

“W-What-”

“Eli, you’re a completely different person now.” Tsubasa looked straight into Eli’s eyes, not letting her ignore what she was saying. “From some of the people I knew back then, yeah, you sounded like you could be a bitch, but you improved, not just because of everyone in Muse, but because you wanted to. You and Nozomi love each other more than almost all other couples I’ve seen, you’re great at your job, you’re a wonderful friend, and from how much you’re buying for your kid, they won’t want for anything.” Tsubasa laughed a little at Eli’s face turning bashful again. “It’s fine to worry about that kind of thing. Every parent can hurt their child in some way, often when they don’t mean to, but I don’t have that worry for you. You love your family so much you’d rather let yourself be hurt then hurt them.” Tsubasa let all of her smile show as she hugged Eli again. “Don’t worry about the things that you might do to hurt your child; think about all of the things you can do to love them.”

Eli laughed a little wryly in Tsubasa’s grasp before letting go of her friend. “Thanks. I needed that.”

“No problem.” Just then, the tea kettle rang out and Tsubasa turned it off as Nozomi and Honoka came back down.

“Oh, tea time! I’ve been wanting tea for a while, but I’m usually too tired to make it.”

“I’m quite surprised by the idea of you being tired.” Eli and Honoka looked at each other for a moment before laughing as Nozomi saddled back next to her wife. “So, what’d you think?”

“It’s quite nice. I especially like the contrast they have between the color of the walls and the color of the ceiling…” As Nozomi told Eli all about the nursery, Eli’s eyes flickered over to Tsubasa before nodding. Tsubasa nodded, satisfied in resolving a small worry of a good friend.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want me to write a fic for you, you can put in a request [right here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/JohnnyMuellersPromptCollection).


End file.
